Perseid Meteor Shower: Best Places to See 'Shooting Stars' This Week

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The annual Perseid meteor shower is typically the most
spectacular "shooting star" display for people in the Northern
Hemisphere, and this week, skywatchers could be in for a
remarkable show.

The
meteor shower peaks during the overnight hours tomorrow (Aug.
12) and Thursday (Aug. 13), and weather permitting, stargazers
can expect to spot an average of one meteor per minute radiating
from the constellation Perseus in the northern sky, somewhat near
the North Pole. At the meteor shower's peak, skywatchers could
see as many as 100 meteors per hour, according to NASA.

This week marks the peak of the Perseid meteor shower, but the
sky show will continue through Aug. 24. Here are some of the best
ways to enjoy the celestial show.

Your own backyard

You don't need any special equipment to see the Perseids. For the
best viewing experience, face northeast under dark skies, and
make sure to get as far away from city lights as you can, because
light pollution will wash out the fainter meteors. And be sure to
give your eyes time to adjust to the dark.

This year, there will be a new moon, providing
maximum darkness for stargazers. If you must look at a star
map, use a flashlight with red paper over it to preserve your
night vision.

If you're looking for a place far away from light pollution, a
National or State Park is a great start. Those locations are
usually rural enough for stargazing, and some of them even offer
astronomy events during the summer. Parks in the western United
States, in particular — including Great Basin National Park (in
Nevada) and Bryce Canyon National Park (in Utah) — host astronomy
events year-round. The National Park Service website has listings of all U.S.
National and State Parks.

Public observatories

Although most astronomical observatories are reserved for
professional research, some have museums or outreach programs
that host astronomy nights for the public. In Los Angeles,
Griffith Observatory is dedicated solely to public education.
Even though a telescope is not needed to view a meteor shower,
your local observatory might have people on hand to tell you more
about skywatching. You may even get a chance to look at other
celestial objects through a telescope. Check with local
observatories for details.

Online

If bad weather threatens to spoil your view of the Perseids, fear
not! You can catch all the action live online. NASA's Marshall
Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, will be livestreaming
views of the meteor shower from 10 p.m. EDT tomorrow to 2 a.m.
EDT on Thursday (Aug. 13). Meteor experts Bill Cooke, Danielle
Moser and Rhiannon Blaauw, all from NASA’s Meteoroid Environment
Office at the Marshall Space Flight Center, will also provide
on-air commentary. You can tune in to the
NASA TV webcast on Space.com.

If you miss the Perseids this time around, though, meteor showers
do occur throughout the year. Other prominent showers include the
Leonids (in November) and the Quadrantids (in January).